Did I tell you about my push?  My push to open Towler Photography?  It all started with the family pictured below.  Our good friends the Christians.  A beautiful and fun family. {more of the Towler Photography story at the bottom of this post}

Thank you to the Christians family for having faith in me and giving me the “push” I needed.  A little more about my beginning is typed out below.

The seed to starting my own photography business had been in my head for awhile but I was hesitating.  I wasn’t sure I wanted to turn my creative and fun hobby into a job.  Doesn’t everyone know that taking something fun and making it a job = bad idea?  I also wasn’t sure I could tackle my fear of being vulnerable to clients, real people with expectations.. not flowers, trees and landscapes where the only critic is me. Those were my thoughts and how I thought it would be.. so far I have been wrong.

My neighbors mentioned they would like me to take their family photos.  This loosened that pin of hesitation and the hopes and dreams of starting my own business unraveled.  What came with this was excitement, anxiety, a few tears and fear.  I couldn’t figure out the fear, or rather I couldn’t pinpoint what all the fear stemmed from.  I knew the excitement… taking photos and having models other than my own family, a chance to play with my camera and show off my work!  I was uplifted by the prospect of something new, a new challenge and chapter in my life.  The anxiety was easy to pick out, I hadn’t a clue how to start a business or how to build a website.  That took some patient sleuthing and eventually the answers were there and  then acted on.  Fear stuck around though.  It is still here.  I’m not sure it will ever go away.  I did learn at a conference this summer that even though fear comes from typical worries such as: will I be good enough, will clients like my style, do I have a style, what if I fail?! {all valid points and I’ve had or have each of them} the fear I didn’t pin down until the smart ladies at my conference said it aloud is: The Fear of Success.

Being successful means being held accountable for each aspect of that success.  I would say this equates to a fun fear, wouldn’t you?  Something you want and will do… something that stretches your talent and abilities all the while giving you the great feeling of accomplishment!

I’m growing creatively. I’m learning new techniques. I’m meeting new people. I’m challenging myself, one step at a time.

Thanks for checking out my site, I hope you stick around and watch me grow.

Cheers~Ivy

 

by Ivy Towler